The Balance of Power in Zheng Kingdom

The last of the tea gradually cooled, and their idle conversation drew to an end.

Jiang Yang glanced at the sky, then rose to take his leave.

Zhou Yanwei naturally tried to persuade him to stay, but seeing that Jiang Yang was determined to go, he did not insist and prepared to see him out.

The two left the cave abode and reached the edge of the terrace. Clouds and mist laden with moisture swept into their faces halfway up the mountain. Standing beneath the Pine and Cypress, Jiang Yang turned and cupped his hands.

"Please stay here, Senior Brother Zhou. There's no need to see me any farther."

Zhou Yanwei brushed his robe sleeves and returned the salute, a smile appearing on his square face.

"It's no trouble. We'll part here, then. I'll send Fang Xu a message in a little while, so you can go straight over tomorrow, Junior Brother Jiang."

Jiang Yang saluted again, gratitude showing in his eyes.

"Well... thank you, Senior Brother. I can't thank you enough. If you ever need anything from me, just say the word."

He had only come for a courtesy visit and casually asked about weapons. He had not expected Zhou Yanwei to answer so patiently and arrange everything so thoughtfully from start to finish. Jiang Yang could not help feeling grateful.

With someone putting so much care into helping him and considering his needs at every turn, Jiang Yang naturally could not turn a blind eye. Yet he owned nothing of value with which to repay him, so he could only make a promise and silently remember the favor.

Zhou Yanwei smiled at his words and waved a hand.

"You're making too much of it, far too much. It's a small matter... all I'm doing is asking him to knock a few spirit stones off the price. I can't have him give it to you for free."

He made it sound as though he had not done enough. Before Jiang Yang could object, Zhou Yanwei continued with a compliment.

"Still, Junior Brother Jiang, you have such a handsome bearing, like a jade tree upon jasper steps. One glance tells me you're no creature destined to remain in a little pond. Perhaps one day I really will need your help..."

A flower-decked sedan chair needed everyone's hands to lift it; flattering words were much the same. This was only a joke, and Jiang Yang certainly would not take it seriously, so he merely smiled and shook his head.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Jiang Yang left Rain Marsh Peak.

Following the path downhill, Jiang Yang hurried toward his cave abode beneath the evening glow. As he recalled their conversation along the way, an initial impression of Zhou Yanwei took shape.

"Upright, warmhearted, and generous. Hmm..."

After a moment's thought, Jiang Yang could not help chuckling and added to himself,

"And quite well-off, too."

He made his way to Morning Rain Peak. Just as he was about to return to his little nest, he noticed a large gathering of disciples halfway up the mountain, discussing something he could not make out.

Jiang Yang stopped and approached curiously, then heard someone call out,

"A True Person patriarch of Pure Etiquette Peak has issued a decree. Any disciple who obtains the spiritual substances [Crimson Vermilion Grease] or [Water-Cutting Mystic Amber]..."

"Whoever obtains these spiritual substances may bring them to Pure Etiquette Peak in exchange for Dao merit, cultivation resources, pills, talismans, or mystic artifacts. This announcement is hereby proclaimed throughout the Three Peaks, that all cultivators may know."

At least several dozen disciples had gathered halfway up the mountain. Men and women in blue-green robes clustered together in a noisy crowd.

Jiang Yang understood only half of what he had heard and was utterly at sea, so he picked a disciple at the edge of the crowd and asked,

"Greetings, Senior Brother. What was that announcement about?"

Hearing him, the disciple turned impatiently and glanced at Jiang Yang. Though his face was unfamiliar, he looked quite amiable, so the disciple tempered his impatience and answered casually,

"Oh, it's nothing major. A Violet Palace True Person over at [Pure Etiquette Peak] in the ancestral seat has issued a decree asking for two spiritual substances..."

Puzzled, Jiang Yang promptly asked,

"What sort of Spirit Treasures could even a venerable Violet Palace cultivator fail to find?"

A cultivator at the rank of True Person possessed divine powers. Perhaps not everything beneath heaven would bend to his will, but at least eight or nine things out of ten would. What precious Spirit Treasure could he not find?

The disciple propped up his chin and answered without hesitation,

"What's strange about that? A True Person is far too exalted to handle every little matter personally. Besides, this decree wasn't even passed through the General Affairs Office. They must need the substances urgently and don't want to wait."

"Hmm... that's true."

After considering it carefully, Jiang Yang found the explanation reasonable and nodded.

"Then what exactly are these Spirit Treasures used for, and where should one look for them?"

The blue-robed disciple showed no impatience at Jiang Yang's further questions. The hand that had been resting on his sword pointed toward the notice on the mountain wall.

"There... isn't it all written up there?"

Jiang Yang turned his head and indeed spotted the notice beyond the crowd. However, three female cultivators happened to be standing directly in front of it. He felt awkward squeezing past them for a closer look, so he could only try to read it from a distance.

Having nothing else to do and seeing Jiang Yang's difficulty, the disciple simply began explaining.

"Don't bother. Just listen to me. Both of these Spirit Treasures are classed as qi refining level one. [Crimson Vermilion Grease] is a Spirit Treasure of the metal-and-stone category, usually found deep in secluded mineral veins or hollows in jagged rock. To find it, you'll most likely have to make a trip into a spirit-vein mine.

"As for [Water-Cutting Mystic Amber], our Rain Xiang Mountain has abundant Water Veins, so it's relatively easier to find. It's a water-aligned Spirit Treasure, usually appearing in flowing water such as streams, rivers, and waterfalls. It takes the shape of a dewdrop, clear as limpid autumn waters, but it's hidden within the Water Veins and isn't easy to distinguish."

Seeing Jiang Yang listen attentively, he went ahead and offered a few more thoughts of his own.

"As for their use, a True Person's thoughts run as deep as abysses and seas. We wouldn't dare fathom them. Still, collecting qi refining level one Spirit Treasures is probably for the disciples' sake. My guess is that they want to blend spiritual qi for constructing an immortal foundation..."

This guess was perfectly reasonable. A Violet Palace True Person naturally had no use for Qi Refining Spirit Treasures, so this was almost certainly for the benefit of disciples under his tutelage.

When advancing from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, one had to swallow spiritual qi and refine baleful intent. Where would that spiritual qi and killing intent come from? Apart from gathering or purchasing it oneself, the only option was to leave the task to one's master or elders and have them prepare it.

Gathering qi meant collecting it from spiritual hollows in the wilderness or pits of baleful intent. Jiang Yang also knew that those with great divine powers could blend spiritual qi, so presumably that was why these Spirit Treasures were being purchased.

Having thought it through, Jiang Yang cupped his hands in thanks.

"Thank you for clearing things up, Senior Brother."

This senior brother was not particularly warmhearted by nature, but the more he looked at Jiang Yang, the more likable he found him. At Jiang Yang's thanks, he waved a hand with a show of indifference.

"It's nothing. Barely any trouble at all."

With his curiosity satisfied, Jiang Yang turned and left. The gathered crowd slowly dispersed as well, and before long, the cultivators had all gone back to their own business.

Pure Etiquette Peak was offering a handsome reward, and quite a few disciples had likely been tempted.

Jiang Yang also committed the notice to memory, but his first priority remained practicing spells and improving his cultivation. He had no intention of making a special search for these Spirit Treasures just for the reward.

Of course, he had decided that if he happened to come across them, he would not mind taking them. Though he still had some Dao merit left, who would ever complain about having a little more money?

By the time he returned to his cave abode, it was growing late. Jiang Yang was in no hurry to sit down and cultivate. Instead, he took out the various miscellaneous writings he had copied a few days earlier and began leafing through them.

As an immortal cultivator, he was practically half-illiterate. He could not identify Spirit Treasures and knew little of the Dao Lineage. Any random person nearby knew more than he did. It was time to cram some basic knowledge of the cultivation world.

Holding a volume of "Three Hundred Years of Zheng Kingdom Customs," Jiang Yang began reading earnestly. Through this book, he finally gained some understanding of the surrounding powers.

Within the territory of the Zheng Kingdom where he now lived, three colossal powers held sway: a gate, a way, and a mountain. Beneath them were numerous lineages, along with countless unorthodox sects and rogue cultivators.

The gate was called the Yi Sword Gate, the way was called the Threefold Way, and the mountain was naturally Rain Xiang Mountain.

The three sects formed a tripod of power across the territory of the Zheng Kingdom, sustaining the balance of the realm.

Rain Xiang Mountain controlled three prefectures within the Zheng Kingdom: Kaiyang Prefecture, South Mountain Prefecture, and Weiyang Prefecture, where Jiang Yang had come from. The livelihoods of these three prefectures supported Rain Xiang Mountain, allowing it to stand unshaken for a thousand years.

Jiang Yang had no time to marvel and continued reading.